Author's Note: I have to start out by saying a huge thank you for all of the reviews! I was so off from the news of Whitney Houston's death that I forgot to even include that in the last author's note. I cannot believe I have passed 1,000 reviews! There are simply no words. Thank you, so much! I just...wow! The response to this story still just surprises me. I've gotten to know some of you through this story, and y'all are pretty awesome. I hope you continue to enjoy this story. I have to also give a big thank you to Daisy and Anna. Daisy has stuck with this story from the beginning, and I'm sure has brought so many of you all here. She is being a very big help to me right now. And Anna, bless her for listening to all of my ramblings about this story, and all of my freak outs. You are both great! All of you are. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Chapter 29

Something always brings me back to you
It never takes too long

Damon stared at Caroline, trying to digest her impromptu speech about what she'd seen over the year, and how he didn't give her enough credit for that. In fact, it was quite the contrary. He gave her plenty of credit for what she saw. There was never anything that Caroline wasn't completely involved in. He was sure she knew more about this past year than he wanted. Hell, their relationship had even gone through a rough patch because of it.

The past year hadn't exactly been easy on anyone, and he'd been in several fights with her about Elena. She saw everything. He more than got that. It was what she chose to do with what she saw that caused the problems. She was never content to stay on the sidelines. She always had to insert herself in all of it. Sometimes, though he loathed admitting to it, her interference helped, but sometimes it wasn't needed. There was also the fact that he had his brother in his ear, telling him to keep her out of everything.

"I give you credit for more than you think, Caroline. However, if you'll remember, you spent most of this past year pregnant. Stefan wanted you out of everything going on with Elena and me. So, just because I didn't run to you with everything, it doesn't mean I don't realize you saw things."

"So you acknowledge that more went on with you and Elena than you want to admit?"

"That's not what I'm saying," he denied. "Things happened, but nothing that changed anything with Andie and me."

Caroline scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You're so delusional."

His mouth was open, ready to fire back at Caroline, when the bedroom door opened and Stefan entered the room. "The limo is here," he announced. "We can go to the church." He looked from Caroline to Damon, trying to gauge the level of tension in the room. "Or we can not go?"

"No," Damon quickly answered. "No, we're going. I'm getting married. That's the end of it." He went to Stefan and grabbed his arm. "Let's go."

"Yeah, just one second," Stefan assured him, and went to Caroline. "Are you going to come or do you want to stay?"

Torn, Caroline looked over her shoulder to Sawyer and then back to Stefan, slowly nodding her head. "Yeah, I'll come. As long as we don't put him in his carrier, he shouldn't wake up. Just give me a minute to get everything together. Just go make sure you have the rings and whatever else you may need."

"Okay, just let me know if you need help. I'll be in the living room." He turned to Damon and plastered as supportive a look as he could on his face. "Let's go make sure we have everything."

They went into the living room, where Alaric was stretched out on the couch watching a sports game on the television. When they came in, he turned it off and rose to his feet. "So, we going to get you married?" he asked, somewhat doubtfully.

"That's the plan," said Damon, tightly. "You still have the rings?"

Alaric's hand disappeared into his suit jacket before reappearing with a velvet box in his possession. He flipped it open, revealing the two platinum bands that Andie had chosen for them. "I may be drunk, but I know how to hold onto the valuable merchandise."

"At least someone's in a good mood," he mumbled. Leave it to Alaric to be the only content person in a hotel suite full of miserable souls.

"I can't handle this day sober," Alaric admitted. "There's a bit too much crazy going on for me to wrap my brain around."

"You and everyone else," Stefan snorted.

Caroline came into the living room, a diaper bag over her shoulder, and Sawyer wrapped in a blanket in her arms, still resting soundly. "Okay, I'm ready. Stefan if you could just take his carrier, I think we're good."

Stefan picked up Sawyer's carrier from next to the couch and looked to the group. With a hint of dread, he said, "Let's get to the church and get this show on the road."

Damon followed Stefan out of the hotel suite. "Let's just hope Andie is still there."

"Yeah, cause that's what would ruin this day," Caroline sarcastically said behind him.

"Have I mentioned how much I hate Halloween?" Damon grumbled as he climbed into the back of the taxi.

"In the last thirty seconds?" Andie questioned with a hint of annoyance. She glanced down at her silver dress to run her hands over the shimmering material.

"Well, I hate Halloween," he stated again. "I see absolutely no point in getting dressed up in a stupid costume to go drink. Why can't I just drink in my normal clothes?"

"One, your normal clothes consist of two thousand dollar suits. Two, you're not even dressed up. I think your point is completely moot."

"I am too," he scoffed. He'd actually spent time on his costume. She couldn't say he wasn't dressed up. He knew better than to go into Caroline's house without being dressed up for Halloween. He bought shoes for this!

Andie's eyes ran over his outfit before landing on his face. "James Dean doesn't count, Damon. You look like this on your days off."

"I never wear white shirts! And do not talk badly about James Dean. He is a legend."

Unable to carry on her annoyance for any longer, all Andie could do was laugh and shake her head. Smiling, she reached out and brushed her hand down the front of his leather jacket. "If you believe you're dressed up, you're dressed up."

Damon's gaze softened. "I could take that as an insult, but I think I'll just call this a draw and move on."

"Wise choice," Andie whispered and leaned forward to brush a soft kiss over his lips. "You do look extra sexy tonight, though."

He raised his eyebrows suggestively at her remark. "You're not looking too bad yourself. I think I could have handled Prohibition if I got to have you in this outfit every night." She was dressed as a Flapper girl tonight, her hair done in the infamous curls, and a long strand of pearls hanging down her chest.

"Are you kidding me?" she inquired with a laugh. "I would have been a blip on your radar if you were alive during Prohibition. You already drink like they're going to take it away from you at any moment, I can only imagine the trouble you'd get yourself into if it was illegal."

He smirked. "I'd be a hot criminal."

Andie nodded, greatly amused by his words. "Of that, I have no doubt."

The taxi pulled to a stop outside of Stefan's building and Damon rolled his eyes at the thought of what he was about to walk into. "Can we please just go back to my place and have sex?"

Andie reached around Damon and opened his door. "As tempting as you've made that sound, I did not spend two hours getting ready for you to ruin this hairstyle because you'd rather have sex than do something you said you'd do."

"In my defense, I never said I'd come. Caroline told me that I'd come."

"Well," Andie grunted as she attempted to shove him out of the car, "You didn't correct her. Pay the driver and let's go."

"You're no fun," he whined, but paid the driver regardless. With a groan, he forced himself out of the car and held his hand out to help Andie. "They better have my favorite scotch."

Andie lovingly rubbed a hand over his back. "I think your brother knows you well enough by now to have your favorite alcohol on hand."

They fell into a comfortable silence as they entered the building and rode the elevator up to Caroline and Stefan's floor. He had no idea what to expect from this party with Caroline. She'd been especially vague when he had tried to ask her any questions about the night. All he could gather was that it would be large. Apparently, now that her due date was getting closer, she felt she needed to throw an over-the-top party, because she thought this might be the last time she would ever get the chance to. He personally thought that if she believed a child would keep her from being a social butterfly and throwing extravagant parties, she was delusional. If anything, the parties would simply revolve around her child. Did she listen to him when he said this, though? Of course not. No one ever did.

When he opened the door and was met with a dark walkway filled with fake spider webs, a fog machine, and strobe lights, he was not surprised. Nor was he surprised when he was greeted with more than fifty people in her living room, all dressed in various costumes from the traditional slutty option to the more elaborate ones, such as imitations of Lady Gaga. Nothing could prepare him for Caroline's costume, though.

She was across the room, tucked into Stefan's side, a beaming smile on her face as she motioned to her ever-expanding stomach. He'd expected something out of left field and unique, but he did not expect what she had on. In all of her pregnant glory, she was decked out in her high school cheerleading uniform that was now much too small for her. The only reason she'd managed to wear it was the fact that the top happened to stop just at the top of her stomach, leaving it bare and out for the world to see.

"This is crazy, even for Caroline," he mumbled as he dragged Andie through the guests, making a beeline straight for his sister-in-law. "Dear God, you're Cheerleading Slut Barbie," he told her when he approached her. With a thumb shoved in her direction, he asked his brother, "You let your wife go out in public looking like this?"

"This is my house, Damon. I'm not parading through Times Square in this. Also, it's Halloween. This is kind of the point." She rolled her eyes, and then took in his attire, her lip curled upward in distaste. "At least I put some effort into my outfit."

"I bought shoes for this!"

"He thinks he's James Dean," Stefan explained with an amused smile.

"I don't think I'd talk if I were you, Quarterback Ken," Damon taunted, and Stefan scowled. "You are so whipped that's it's so far beyond not funny, it's funny again."

Stefan raised a knowing eyebrow. "I don't think that's a road you want to go down, Damon."

Caroline huffed in aggravation. "You two are always having a different conversation than I am."

Damon smirked at his sister-in-law. "Blondie, I think everyone is always having a different conversation than you are."

When someone's mouth ran at such speeds as Caroline's, it was only natural that her conversation would be on a different planet than everyone else's. No one could keep up. The second someone could catch onto what she was saying, she was already onto another topic. Forget the Energizer bunny, Caroline Forbes Salvatore should be their spokesmodel.

To prove his point, Caroline's eyes wandered through the room, already distracted from the current conversation. Finding whatever she was looking for, a smile spread across her face and her eyes widened in glee. "Elena's here!" She quickly rushed off from the group, her legs carrying her pregnant self as quickly as they could go.

Curious, Damon's eyes followed her fading form until he had Elena in his sights. In an instant, he was catapulted back in time, to the weekend they'd spent in Mystic Falls, where he'd seen in her in her cheerleading uniform for the first time ever. Almost three years, two broken hearts, and one miscarriage later, Damon could still admit that she looked gorgeous in it. Though her breasts did not fill it out in the way they once had, there was still more than enough to admire. From her taut stomach to her long legs, she was the picture of perfection.

A part of him hated that he still thought that. It would be a lot easier if he could simply hate everything about her, but life was never that kind to him. She'd forever be beautiful, and he didn't think his thoughts on that would ever change. No matter what had happened between them, it wouldn't change that.

"Damon, can I talk to you for a minute?" Stefan pulled his attention from admiring Elena's attire. He turned to his brother's expectant eyes as he motioned to the hallway with his head, and Damon knew he couldn't say no. Whatever it was, it must be important if he was pulling him away from everyone.

"Yeah." He nodded and looked to Andie, an apologetic smile on his face. "This will just take a minute. Why don't you go mingle with the girls that you can't talk to when I'm by your side?"

She smiled tightly and mirrored his nodding head. "Sure, take your time." Ever since Stefan's birthday weekend, Andie had been understandably more suspicious when Damon would disappear to have private conversations with someone. For months, she'd been kept in the dark about the most important things in his recent history, blatantly lied to, and it was hard to hide her discomfort when he abandoned her in a crowd. He knew her mind ran rampant with the ideas of what he must be discussing that she couldn't be a part of. She never asked, though, and most of the time, he didn't share.

He gave her hand a quick squeeze, and then followed his brother to his office. It was devoid of all guests, allowing them the privacy they needed for this oh so important conversation that Stefan needed to have with him. With the door closed, he focused his attention on his brother. "What's up? You need to take refuge in my bachelor pad until Caroline pops the kid out? Getting a little scared of impending fatherhood?"

Not amused with the jokes, Stefan rolled his eyes and ignored the questions all together. "It's about Elena," he started cautiously.

Now very curious, he took small steps toward Stefan. "What about her?"

Stefan inhaled a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever it was he needed to say. "She brought a date tonight."

Startled, he was left speechless for a few moments. He hadn't seen her with anyone when she came in. Okay, so he wasn't really looking at anything other than her, but still. She brought a date? Unable to form another thought, he simply questioned, "I don't get it."

His brother reached up and ran his hand over the back of his neck, rubbing away the tension in his muscles. "Caroline didn't tell me until right before the first guest showed up tonight. I would have told you if I knew beforehand."

"I didn't even know she was dating."

"Neither did I."

Confused, Damon shook his head, trying to clear out the fog in his head. "I don't – I don't get it. Why are you telling me this? What am I supposed to do?"

Now unsure of his decision, Stefan shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I thought you might want to know before you saw her with another guy." He sighed and shook his head. "I don't know, Damon," he repeated. "This is a messed up situation. I don't know what I'm supposed to do here. I just thought you would rather hear it from me than see it and think I kept it from you."

Damon didn't know what Stefan was supposed to do either. Was there really any protocol for a situation like this? He was already dating and in a serious relationship of his own. He wasn't exactly standing around hoping for her to fall into his arms. Was there a reason he needed to be told? All it did was leave him with questions, and apparently his brother couldn't answer those.

Last time he'd talked to Elena she was crying and asking him if he still loved her. She was still trying to make things better with them. So, when in the past two weeks, did she go from wanting to know if he loved her, to being ready to date? It didn't add up in his head. Nothing about it added up. The last time she'd done something like this, it had been for Caroline's benefit. She had been trying to appease her friend, who did not want her with him, and it had all backfired. Was that what was going on now?

"Why do I feel like your wife is somehow involved in this?"

His brother smiled slowly, a loving look in his eyes. "Probably because she is. It's Caroline, she is in the middle of everything."

"But she didn't even tell you Elena was bringing a date until the party started?" he questioned, trying to get everything straight in his head.

"Yeah, she hasn't told me anything. I think that has more to do with the fact that we don't talk about Elena, though. She's not a very fun topic in our household."

Damon cringed at the reminder of the strain his and Elena's demise had put on his brother's marriage. "You don't have to hate her for me," he quietly told him. "I'm a big boy. I can fight my own battles."

"Trust me, I know," Stefan laughed. "I'd never delude myself into thinking that I can fight a battle better than you can. It doesn't mean I don't get to be angry with her for my own reasons, though. Just because I'm not going to go to war with her, it doesn't mean I'm not going to take your side. Caroline can play neutral, but I'm not."

"I'm not asking you to play neutral. I just –" he stopped himself, unsure of what he truly wanted to say. He didn't know how to put his thoughts into words. His thoughts about Elena when she returned, and his thoughts about her now, had changed. While in the beginning, he would have been cheering his brother on to hate Elena, now he didn't want that. Maybe Caroline's hormones were rubbing off on him, but this wasn't Stefan's fight, and he didn't want it to be.

"Look, I know that things have shifted with you and Elena, but that doesn't mean they have for me. I get that things are always going to be complicated between the two of you. You loved her, but I didn't. You're whom my loyalty is with. So, she does have to be a topic that isn't talked about in my house. My thoughts and feelings are never going to be neutral or kind, which causes a bit of a problem since she's my wife's best friend."

"I'm sorry," Damon apologized. For what, he didn't quite know, but he had to say something. This was all partly his fault anyway.

"It doesn't matter who's sorry and who isn't. I brought you in here to let you know that she brought a date, and that's all there is to it. You can do what you want with the information, just keep Caroline out of it."

Silently, Damon nodded. "Okay, I'll keep her out of it." He didn't think she'd be too fond of hearing the current discussion, but he wouldn't be too fond of getting Stefan's fist in his face, so he was going for the option of self-preservation.

"How about you promise to keep her out of it until she gives birth?"

Damon smirked. "Would you believe me if I agreed to that?"

"Point taken."

"How about I promise you this? Whatever happens with me and Elena will stay between us?"

Stefan eyed him suspiciously. "Depends on what you're planning on happening."

"At the moment, nothing. I can't promise I won't get mad at her ever again, but I promise not to do anything that will involve Caroline."

"Like I said, I don't like Elena, so do whatever it is the two you of you do right now. Just keep Caroline out of it. That's been my one and only request from the beginning. I'm not going to push it further than that."

Satisfied, Damon held out his hand toward Stefan. "Deal."

Knowing that it was the best he was going to get, Stefan shook his hand. "Now that this is as settled as it is going to be, shall we rejoin the party before my wife comes and yells at me for being anti-social?"

"I don't know," Damon hedged, "I do enjoy watching Caroline yell at you, especially now that she's pregnant. It's an interesting sight."

Stefan lightly shoved Damon's shoulder and pushed him out of his way. "Whatever, I'm going back out there. You can stay in here for all I care."

"But I can't annoy you if I'm in here and you're out there," he called after his brother as he left the room. "Hey, wait!" He ran forward and followed him into the hallway. "You do have a bottle of the scotch I like, right?"

"Your favorite scotch is almost four hundred dollars a bottle. No, I do not have your scotch."

Offended, Damon said, "I take it back! I take it all back! Everything I said in that room, forget it!"

Stefan turned on his heel and pointed a threatening finger in Damon's direction. "Go back on your word and I'll finish what Elena started on my birthday."

"You're a crappy little brother. I hope you know that."

"Well, you're a crappy big brother. Shall we call it even?"

"Oh God," came Caroline's groan from behind Stefan. "Are you two already fighting?"

"What?" Stefan and Damon said in unison, matching tones of confusion.

They looked at each other, then back to Caroline, who was now standing next to Stefan, an annoyed look on her face. "We're not fighting. Why would you think we're fighting?" Damon asked her.

"You're standing in the middle of a hallway telling each other you're crappy brothers. What else am I going to think?"

"This is how we say we love each other." Disappointed in his sister-in-law, Damon shook his head. "I expected more from you, Caroline. I thought you knew us better than this." He stepped forward to her and gently patted the top of her head. "It's like you don't know me at all."

With a sad smile, he passed her, intent to join the party long enough to appear like he'd been around for most of the night, and then leave. Normally he loved any excuse he had to drink, but costumes never seemed to interest him. Girls would dress up in clothes they wouldn't leave the bedroom in all other 364 days of the year, but found it somehow appropriate on this night. He would approve if it weren't for the fact that they seemed to get offended when he assumed that they'd go home with him. Who wouldn't think a girl would be up for some casual sex if she were actually in public wearing lingerie? It made no sense, and he wasn't typically a fan of things that didn't make sense. Therefore, he did not like Halloween.

As expected, the party was as annoying as he thought it would be. Without the assistance of his favorite scotch, he was nowhere near in the mood to deal with the people Stefan and Caroline had invited. If he were single, he could maybe enjoy a few of the model guests that Caroline had invited, but seeing as he had a girlfriend that he did actually want to remain faithful to, there was not much enjoyment to be had.

He was surrounded by a room full of scholarly people that Stefan knew from NYU, which immediately meant that he had no desire to have a discussion with any of them, for any reason. Then, there were the fashion people that Caroline invited. He'd somehow gotten caught in a conversation about hemlines for next spring, and that was when he mentally checked out and allowed his gaze to wander the party. Eventually, he found Elena sitting on the couch with Bonnie, her new boyfriend, and a mystery guy beside her. Must be the date Stefan told him about.

He was leaning forward and engaged in the conversation, but his hands were resting on his lap, which meant they were nowhere near Elena. As he watched, he gathered that it must be a first date. There seemed to be no indication that Elena had any sort of attachment to this guy. Sure, she smiled and laughed, and seemed to enjoy him, but he hadn't seen a kiss yet. It all only led him to wonder why she was on the date.

He'd been thinking about it ever since Stefan told him, and he just couldn't figure it out. There had been no indication during their last conversation that she had any desire to date anyone. So why was she?

"You can at least look like you're enjoying yourself," Andie whispered into his ear, wrapping her arm loosely around his waist. "You look like we've asked you to spend an evening with your father."

"I had a girl ask me if I thought purple was the new orange," he groaned. "What does that even mean?"

Andie shook against him, laughing quietly at his distaste. "Caroline works for a fashion designer, and you have the face of a model. They probably thought you were in the business."

"But what about me says that I have any idea about anything having to do with women's fashion? The only thing I know is how to best get a dress off without ripping it. That's as far as my knowledge goes."

"You're so handsome, you just confuse women to the point where they're speaking gibberish. How about that?"

Smiling, he turned his face toward hers. "I like your answer. I'd believe it more if you were reduced to a blabbering idiot around me."

"No," she shook her head, "I don't think you're that hot. Sorry, babe."

"I'm hurt," he gasped.

"I think you're ego will survive," she assured him.

"You wound me." He lifted his drink to have a sip, but when he came up with nothing but ice, he frowned at the empty glass. "I need more alcohol."

"Okay," Andie sighed and gently rubbed her hands over his crisp, white shirt, his leather jacket long ago discarded. "I'll be somewhere around here."

"I'll be back soon." He made his way toward the bar, but halfway there, the idea of drinking another glass of the crappy scotch that Stefan and Caroline had seemed vastly unappealing. Quickly checking to see that Andie was distracted, he turned and headed in the direction of the guest bedroom. If he was going to survive the rest of the evening, he needed some liquid courage that he actually enjoyed.

He quietly slipped into the guest bedroom, making sure that no one was around, so he could have a few moments alone. He had spent almost two hours surrounded by people in various states of undress and decked out in gaudy costumes. He could handle eccentricities, but only in certain doses.

With the door safely shut and locked behind him, he twisted around to retrieve his secret bottle of scotch again. A movement in the bathroom caught his eye and he silently cursed his luck. Could he get five minutes alone? Then, before he could turn and flee before he was spotted, he saw Elena's reflection in the mirror. The top to her cheerleading uniform was off and spread out over the sink as she leaned over it, intently dabbing at it, a studious expression on her face.

The shaking, combined with her bent over stance had a surprising affect on her breasts, causing them to pour over the cups of her bra, hovering dangerously close to spilling free from the confining material.

Blowing out a tired grunt, she straightened and ran the back of her hand over her forehead. Her eyes shifted upward, and widened in horror as she caught sight of him. "Oh my God!" She jumped in surprise, swinging around to face him.

He stood, momentarily frozen at being caught in the incriminating position. There were two options he could choose here. He could apologize and quickly make his exit, or he could be Damon, which was always the easier option. Unsurprising to him and probably her, he chose the last option. Appearing unfazed, he glided forward and pushed the bathroom door open to see her in person, rather than stare at her reflection. He allowed his eyes to roam over her bare torso in unabashed appreciation. Casually leaning against the doorway, he said, "I always did prefer that uniform on the floor."

Suddenly reminded of her appearance, she ripped her top from the counter and shielded her chest with it. "What are you doing?"

"Sightseeing." When she gripped the top tighter to her chest, he laughed quietly. "Little late for modesty now, don't you think?"

"I'm trying to clean my shirt!" Embarrassed, she stepped forward and pushed him out of the doorway. "Get out!" She shoved at him until he stumbled enough for her to slam the door shut in his face.

"Not like I haven't seen it all before," he called out to her through the closed door. Amused by her behavior, he shuffled over to the dresser and searched for his bottle of scotch. Like always, it was right where he'd left it, just a little closer to empty. He would need to replace this before long. The last place he wanted to find himself in was Caroline and Stefan's apartment in desperate need of a moment alone and no alcohol to take solace in.

A few moments later, when he was relaxed on the bed, a healthy amount of scotch in his glass, the bathroom door swung open and Elena marched out. "Enjoy the show?" she questioned, her hip jutted out in aggravation and her arms crossed over her chest.

Smiling, he said, "As a matter of fact, I did."

Caught off guard by his reply, Elena eyed him suspiciously. "How drunk are you?"

"Not drunk enough to find Caroline's knocked up cheerleader costume funny." He then paused to contemplate how drunk he really was. "Although, I am drunk enough to find amusement in the girl dressed like Lindsay Lohan. There's a heavy dose of irony in that one."

Confused, Elena shook her head. "I'm going to go back to the party now. Have fun with your alcohol."

He watched her turn and walk to the door, but when she had unlocked the door and her hand was on the knob, he called out to her, "Wait."

Unsure, she kept her hand on the doorknob, but turned her head to look at him. "What?"

He readjusted himself on the bed so he was sitting up when he spoke to her. "So, you brought a date?"

Her shoulders tensed and she swallowed thickly. Her gaze fell to the floor, where her feet shuffled nervously beneath her. "Caroline set met up with him." Damon rolled his eyes. Of course Caroline set Elena up with a guy. It was what she'd done after she broke up with Matt, too. You'd think she would have learned her lesson with how it worked out the first time. Apparently she hadn't. "She's just trying to be a good friend," she told him quietly when she noticed his demeanor.

"Doesn't she remember how that ended the last time?"

With her gaze steadily focusing on anything but him, she said, "Things were different then."

Memories of the night she went on a date with James, or Jason, or Justin, or whatever, flashed through his mind. He could still picture her vividly as she'd come through the door in her yellow dress, her hair already falling loose of the curls she'd probably worked hard on. Everything had still been in limbo for them, neither quite ready to make that first move. They clung to the sexual tension for months, until they could no longer deny it. If it hadn't been for Caroline, he probably would have slept with her that very night, but as fate would have it, he would wait another week before he got the chance to find out how great the sex would really be between them.

"A lot has changed since then," he murmured.

Elena's eyes rose to meet his and her posture softened. A wistful smile danced across her face. "I remember thinking that my world was upside down. Now, I'd give anything for things to be that simple."

"You never realize how easy you had it until you realize how bad it can really get." He'd thought his divorce from Katherine would be the hardest thing he ever had to go through. Every move he initially made with Elena was to specifically try to prevent anything close to what happened with Katherine. He'd had no ability to predict how bad things could really get, and how bad they would get.

"To think, we used to be friends back then. You actually wanted to sleep with me."

He softly laughed. "I've always wanted to sleep with you. That's never been our problem."

"True," she admitted. "I guess I'm good at something. It's what comes with the sex that I suck at."

"You're good at plenty of things, Elena. It's overthinking that gets you into trouble, not things you aren't good at."

Surprised, Elena's eyes widened. "Did you just give me a compliment?"

Had he? Damon paused in a state of surprise of his own. Was she right? Did he really just give her a compliment?

Before he could put much thought into whether he had or hadn't, he said, "Don't get too attached. I'm sure an insult is coming soon enough."

She rolled her eyes, but the act held little of the annoyance that it so often had these past few months. "I don't think you'd be you if you didn't match every compliment with an insult."

"Can't let anyone get too comfortable thinking I like them or something," he said in mock mortification. He had no idea what he was doing with Elena right now or why he was doing it, but he didn't find that he was anxious to stop. He hadn't been able to talk to her like this in years, and as she just said, they'd been friends once. Everything with them started as a friendship. She'd even felt like his best friend at times. He hadn't just lost their relationship when she moved to Chicago. He'd lost a friendship.

Sometimes that had been the hard pill to swallow. They'd been about so much more than sex and lust. There had no longer been a person to share his day with when it was all said and done, and he was settling into bed for the night. There was no sounding board anymore to give feedback about even the smallest things. It hadn't just been going home to an empty bed that had been hard. It was going home to the silence that had been unbearable.

In sudden, jerky movements, Elena came over to the bed and sat down at the end. She curled her feet under her and brushed her hands over the skirt of her uniform, flattening it against her thighs. "I think you've gotten lazy with Caroline, then. You can't fool her into thinking you hate her anymore."

He smiled at the thought of Caroline ever believing he hated her again. After this long, she'd probably beat him up if he stopped liking her. It was probably a safe bet, at this point, that there was no going back for them. Against all odds, that fiery blonde had wormed her way into what little of a heart he had. It would be hard to get her out now, and she wouldn't go willingly.

"I guess we're even. I'm not stupid enough to believe she isn't completely in love with me."

"To think she tried to kick you out of the wedding."

Though he'd probably never admit it to her face, Damon found it safe to say, "I did have it coming. I was pretty crappy to her when they got engaged. Then again, I was just an asshole to everyone at that time."

"You weren't an asshole to me," she said quietly.

Elena had probably been the only person at that time that he was nice to. In her own way, she was going through the same thing he was. It was what had bonded them from the first moment. When everyone else could only offer their sympathy and an ear to listen, she could offer understanding. She got it when no one else did. That had meant more than he could even realize at that time.

"You didn't remind me of Katherine. It was easy to not be a total and complete asshole when I didn't have to think about her. In fact, I remember acting pretty much the same way to Stefan and Caroline after you left." The words fell freely from his mouth before he could stop them, and like a bucket of cold water, the easygoing vibe that had somehow developed in the conversation was now tense and uncomfortable again.

Elena's gaze shifted down to her hands, avoiding him once again. "And there it is," she whispered.

He cringed at the noticeable pain that he could hear in her voice. For the first time in months, she'd started to let her guard down around him – hell, he'd let his down too – and with one off-handed comment, he'd sent them right back to square one. "I'm sorry," he tried to apologize, though it could hardly pass as sincere. "I know that you're trying, and I'm starting to, but those things just come out."

"Cause you're still mad. I've heard it before, Damon."

"Yes, I'm mad, but I really am tired of the fighting. I've fought you since you got back, and while it felt good for a while, it's not doing anything. I think I've said everything I know to say to you, so I am going to try to not say things like that anymore. This isn't exactly a regular situation." He shifted forward on the bed to move closer to her. "We were finally talking like we used to. Back when we were friends, that meant saying what we thought. As it happens to be, some of the things I think are about you, and they're not always nice. I just wasn't thinking when I said it."

She lifted her head to meet his eyes once again. Her brown eyes were filled with doubt and hope and any conflicting emotion that he could think of, but somewhere underneath it, he still saw the love. Even if he didn't want to see it, it was there. She hadn't tried to hide it either. So, because of that, he knew that his words over the past several months had hit harder for the sole reason that she still loved him. He had that power in the palm of his hands at all times. He could still hurt her. The problem now was that he couldn't figure out whether he wanted that anymore.

"Are you actually trying to be nice to me, or are you just waiting for the right time to make it all hurt a little more."

Instead of being insulted, Damon shrugged, fully understanding where she was coming from. He'd been more than forthcoming with her since she got back. It had been his only goal when he first saw her in that hallway. All he'd wanted to do was hurt her. Why wouldn't she think that he wasn't still after the same thing? Hell, why wasn't he? When had that started to change?

This room, dumbass. That was what his head told him. It was in this very room that it began to change, because she had been right. He finally heard the words she was saying to him, and he got it. It got a little harder to hold onto such dangerously high levels of anger when she'd forced him to face the reality of how he'd been at her age. At 22, he'd ended his relationship with Andie because it was too much work. Neither had been willing to compromise enough to make it work, so they'd ended it. While with her, he hadn't even been able to stay faithful.

Elena, at 22, hadn't been ready to compromise on much in her life either at the time, but without warning, she'd been given a piece of information that made that impossible. In a matter of moments, she'd gone from being a carefree 22-year-old to an expectant mom. Suddenly, she had to plan for how to have a baby, raise a baby, how to get along with him, and what it would all mean for them. She'd been petrified and before she had even fully grasped all of that, everything changed again. In all of the nights he'd spend wondering how it all went so horrifically wrong, he'd never considered that, not until she laid it all out in front of him.

So yeah, with those thoughts, things had changed. The anger wasn't quite so prevalent. It didn't feel like it had taken hold of his entire body anymore. That made it easier to see her and not want to immediately make her cry. That seemed to translate into him being nice to her.

"Yeah, I'm trying."

"Really?" She pulled in a breath of anticipation, hope bursting inside of her at the knowledge that this moment might be real, that he might be telling the truth.

"Really."

The air came out of her in a whoosh, and a bright smile broke free on her face. "Thank God, because I don't think I can handle much more of what we've been doing."

"You and me both."

"That means a lot." She shook her head emphatically. "It does, Damon. Thank you."

"On this note, we should probably rejoin the land of the living." As much as he would like to stay back in the bedroom and away from the growing crowd in his brother's living room, he knew he'd run out of time. Someone would be coming to look for him soon.

"Yeah," Elena agreed and slid off the bed. She quickly adjusted her ponytail that was pulled tightly on her head and turned for the door, but he shot his arm out and caught her before she could move. Startled, she turned to look down at him. "What?"

"Your date. You never did tell me anything." He was curious to know whom this mystery guy was that she'd shown up with. If he said he was trying to be nicer, didn't that give him the privilege to make casual conversation with her?

She looked uncomfortable at the mention of her date again, but more at ease than she had been earlier. "He's just a guy that Caroline knows. She thought we had a few things in common, so she set us up. It's really not anything."

His hand slid down her arm to fold comfortably into her grasp, her small fingers curling against his. Quietly, he asked, "So, you're basically back to going on blind dates with men to appease Caroline?"

"No," she vehemently denied. "I wanted to go on this one. I told him I'm not ready for anything, though. We're pretty much here as friends. There aren't any expectations for anything else. I plan to remain single for a long time."

He smiled at her words. He couldn't think of many men that would go on a date with her and be happy with not getting anymore. There would be several disappointed men in her future.

"He's probably not good for you anyway."

Elena's eyes widened and he could feel something shift in the room. She looked down at their joined hands and then back to his face. A flurry of emotions swam through her eyes, and he could feel his own heartbeat begin to slow. The words had come from nowhere, not even thought inside of his own head before they fell from his mouth, but he'd said them. They hung between them like a heavy weight, pulling them both down, toward the revelation he'd just unknowingly made.

He was jealous.

It hadn't been a possibility in his mind until she said that the date meant nothing, but that's what the wonderment had been about. It wasn't that he didn't ever want her to move on, or that he thought it would never happen. He just didn't want it to happen right now. It was a place he didn't want to touch in his mind, scared of what it might reveal, but with her confirmation that she had no plans to move on, he wouldn't have to go to that place. By the time she moved on, that dark place in his mind would be gone, and he'd never have to know what was there.

He simply needed more time to process having her back in his life. Everything was still so confusing and tangled. If he could simply organize everything in his head, the jealousy would go away. If he could focus on Andie, and what they had together, he'd be fine. Everything would be fine.

"God, Elena, are you sewing yourself a new shirt?" Caroline barged into the room, ready to turn toward the bathroom when she spotted Damon and Elena by the bed. Her eyes widened comically at the site and her mouth fell open. Caroline Salvatore had been rendered speechless.

Elena quickly spun around to face her friend, forcing her hand to fall from Damon's grasp, something he saw Caroline's eyes watch intently. "Sorry, Caroline. I was trying to get the stain out and then Damon came in. We were just coming back out, though." He listened to Elena ramble, trying to find the words to explain what Caroline had just walked in on.

"We?" Caroline questioned, not fully understanding the connotation.

"Um, yeah, we were just talking, but we're done."

"Talking?" she echoed.

"Yeah, but I've probably been back here forever. I should get back out there. I'm sure Colin thinks I ran away." Elena quickly went to the door, but when she realized Caroline wasn't coming, she asked, "What are you doing? I thought you came to find me."

"I did, but I have to go to the bathroom," she quickly explained. "My bladder is my son's dance floor tonight. I have to go every five minutes."

Elena grimaced. "Yeah, I'll see you back out there." She disappeared from the room, leaving him alone with a very pregnant Caroline that did not remotely look like she had to go to the bathroom.

"Thought you had to pee?"

Slowly, she turned to face him, her eyes suspicious and hard. "So, talking?"

"Yes. You should be familiar with the concept. God knows you do it enough."

Caroline rolled her eyes, not amused by his humor. "You and Elena were talking, and there were no tears involved? Forgive me, if that is a little surprising."

"Would you prefer I make her cry?"

Caroline had been lecturing him for months about being nicer to Elena. Now that he was, she was going to question it? Sometimes he wondered if pregnancy was frying her brain. Just last week, she'd spent twenty minutes talking to him about figuring out where he really wanted to go with his life. At some point during the past month, the idea that she was going to become a parent began to sink in, and she was using him as a test run for having a child.

"I'm just confused. You've spent months saying that you hate her and you'll never forgive her. I can't help but be curious where the sudden change has come from."

With a sigh, Damon stood up and rested his hands on Caroline's shoulders. He slightly bent down until his eyes were level with her and said, "This might come as a surprise, but Elena and I have had conversations that people might not know of. Let's just say, she said something and I heard her, so I'm trying this whole concept of being civil."

"What are you talking about? Is something going on with you and Elena?"

"Of course nothing's going on with me and Elena," he hissed.

"Then why were you holding her hand?" Caroline demanded, her eyebrows raised and her hands planted firmly on her hips.

"Here you are." Caroline jumped at the sound of Andie's voice and twisted around to face her. Confused at what she'd walked in on, Andie eyed them suspiciously from the doorway. "Everything okay?"

Damon quickly walked to her, a lazy smile on his face. "Caroline was just having a pregnancy moment. Thank God you saved me." He placed a quick kiss on her lips, and then looked over his shoulder at Caroline. "Everything okay now?"

She swallowed thickly, but nodded her head. "Yeah, I think you've made things a lot clearer now."

"Glad I could be of service." He grabbed Andie's hand and turned his attention back to her. "What do you say we head home? I think I've had enough for one night."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Andie easily agreed. "Night, Caroline. You put together a great party."

"Thank you," Caroline told her appreciatively. "Damon, expect a call from me tomorrow."

As Damon led Andie from the room, his eyes met with Caroline's. She clearly wasn't finished with the conversation, but he had other plans. He and Elena were trying to get along right now; they didn't need Caroline inserting herself into anything. This was his business. Besides, she was pregnant. Didn't she have more pressing things to worry about, like which onesie to buy? There was also the promise he'd made to his brother to keep her out of it. This was officially him trying to follow through on what he'd said to Stefan.

"I think my schedule is a little busy tomorrow," he told her curtly. "I'll let you know when I'm free."